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The Dark Scarecrow
The Dark Scarecrow Mavericlion Productions,LLC Presents Tales of The Dark Scarecrow by Carl Edward Thompson and Joseph Gilbert Thompson The Dark Scarecrow character and related characters featured in these stories all the rest are copyright Ls,and trademarks owned by Mavericlion Productions,LCC.© TM ® 1973-2018 Mavericlion Publications,Inc. Thompson Brothers Publishing 1551 North 29th Street,Philadelphia,Pa.19121 Cell Phone:267-334-1099 mavericspacer@gmail.com Maveric Universe Wiki galaxymaveric @Hotmail.com They say there is a local legend.It goes back some centuries.Others say it is older. It tells the tale of local man,one Ethan Hellstrom,who was beaten by the British Redcoats,during the American Revolution.Hellstrom was propped up his Corn Field Scarecrow cross and left to die.They burned his farm house and sacked his farm.They took everything and left. But Hellstrom didn't die.He managed to free himself with the help a friend Aron Daniels . Unknown to everyone,including the British,the Hellstrom Farm was located on top of a unique place.The ancient one,called it a Time-Vault.It's origin was alien.Atlantean actually.And there Ethan Hellstrom found his revenge.A suite of remarkably unique armor.Bullet proof.Fire proof.Weather proof.It actually belonged a bunch of evil Bastards,that called themselves the Zatakhon.But Hellstrom adapted it for his own uses.He also adapted things called a Tesla Glove to call down the lightning like the gods.Plasma Throwers to call up the fires of hell.Cryogenic Throwers to call the cold from the artic regions of the North.He could command the birds of the air to do his bidding.His electro whip could be the scourge of the underworld.All this,he used for his own uses.He adapted the Atlanteans Battle Armor,to give him superior strength,endurance,stamina,invulnerablity. He rode a strange,hellish horse,called STEED and called it Hellspawn. Ethan Hellstrom recovered. Ethan Hellstrom became something else...he became someone else.. Ethan Hellstrom became the Dark Scarecrow And Scarecrow fought the British Invaders,secretly helping the American Revolution. Time passed on.This tattered phantom became an local legend.Many stories are told about the raggedy knight.Many things are told in dark whispers of the land. But one thing is known about in these parts among all else.else It is a local saying. "Evil never sleeps.But also never does the Dark Scarecrow.And wherever evil shows it's ugly head,the Dark Scarecrow will return and call down the lightning of vengeance upon the dark hearts of men." The Legend of the Dark Scarecrow. Four evil looking figures were moving up the darkened street.Their plan was not good.They planned to rob the Old Hellstrom Farm,believing the Old Place was loaded with lute.Rumors in the criminal underworld sport of a vast treasure was located somwhere on that old place.The Hellstrom Family held the place,way back before the American Revolution.Now,in 2161,it was mostly a series of Tower Farms,owned by the Hellstrom Food Corporation,LLC. Still,the old Hellstrom Farm of the 16 and 17 hundreds,was rebuilt by Ethan Hellstrom.And was used by every family member since.A legend surrounded the old place.The legend of the Dark Scarecrow.This scarecrow was not a man.Not anything people would call such anyway.It was more like this Eastern and Western Coast Dark Avenger.A dark urban mythic Spector,that walks out of the darkness and enact vengeance upon the evil devil's of the world. The Hellstrom Farm was your usual farm,spread over aches of land,what was called a Vertical or Tower Farm was coined by Gilbert Ellis Bailey in 1915 in his book Vertical Farming. Tower farming is the practice of producing food and medicine in vertically stacked layers, vertically inclined surfaces built up like a skyscraper and integrated into the land with an environment freindly attitude. The modern ideas of vertical farming use indoor farming techniques and controlled-environment agriculture technology,where all environmental factors can be controlled. These facilities utilize artificial control of light, environmental control of humidity, temperature, gases and fertigation. Many Tower Farms use techniques similar to greenhouses, where natural sunlight can be augmented with artificial lighting and metal reflectors.On a farm,such as the Helstromm Farm,several rows of Tower Farms could be built,where before land was needed to grow horizontally grown crops.The farm also can produce more crops,closer to where they will be purchased on the market and used by consumers.Each Tower farm was to grow 14 lettuce crops per year, as well as spinach, kale, tomatoes, peppers, basil and strawberries. Milk and eggs could also be produced.Water is scavenged from the farm's atmosphere with a dehumidifier.Water get recycled and purified for re-used. The farms would grow a variety of fruits and vegetables,in hydroponic containers.Eggs and products are also produced,with little difficulty.Farm hands would work inside this structure,maintaining control of growth of the plants and water distribution or alteration.Thus the Helstromm Farm was very useful to the local economies and environment.People also needed to eat and local markets needed to survive. But not all saw it,this way.Some were just greedy and stupid Bastards out for themselves.Tower Farms and dark urban myths would not keep them away,no matter what other stupid,fearful criminals would have to say.Elvin Mills was such bold and smarter than everyone moron.He did what he liked and wanted.Dam if the greater society hated him for it.To hell with them.To hell with everything and everybody.Elvin Mills was going to do what he liked despite what Big Boss Donald Cardigan thought.He was going to do this and make himself a king in the organization.Winner take all risk. Elvin Mills was a big offish of a man.Think Pete Boile in Young Frankenstein,only in a leather motorcycle jacket,with Dutches red middle figure decal in the Omega Man.Mills loved those two movies,but did understand either but one was funny and other a violent action picture from the classic 1970s era.He actually,preferred the grindhouse version of the Omega Man remake,where Tiny Tom Cruise as Robert Neville,as cutting up zombies with an electric buzzsaw. But Elvin Mills did not believe in dark urban myths,that stalk the criminal underworld.Nor his cohorts Micky Milton,Christopher Milton,Marcus Princeton,Joey Brewster or Brian Rossi.Four ugly Dick Tracy characters.Elvin Mills was a bald head off,dressed all in black and grey,who was banished by his wife for being too abusive.He had cooked the lunic notion,the FBI,and United World Intelligence Agency had conspired against him to put his wife and daughter in the witness protection program and killed his older brother Richard with an Ulra Sonic gun. Elvin Mills was not nuts,he often bragged how his father George Mills ,beat and raped him when he was young.His brother Richard,too.And Elvin got old and big enough,he beat his father to death,with baseball bat.The cops were called and it took six of them to put him in a Paddy Wagon,on Unity Street and Frankford in Philadelphia. Elvin Mill was so out his mind,he pretended to commit suicide,just so he could kick at the prison guards,as they tried to pull him from bed sheets,that he hung upon.Real brilliant.Risking death,just to get back a few correctional officers.Mills spent almost all his times,in prison,ether in solitary confinement or in the Psycho Ward. Mills got out on parol,after ten years.How ?Nobody knows.They said the evidence was corrupted and the cop dirty.Figures.Philadelphia.Corrupt police force.Corrupt City government.Elvin Mills met his old childhood sweetheart Jennifer Demeter Lonstein and they got married.His Richard got a job working for used car business.But after a few years,Elvin managed to fuck that up.Richard was found dead in the toilet.Beaten to death under mysterious circumstances.By then,Elvin had fled town and never seen again in those parts. Micky Milton was a midget dwarf,with a giant red Mountain Man beard and girlie red wig,he thought nobody noticed.Micky had an offish brother Christopher.Neither of them clould keep a proper job-well,anything that wasn't criminal.Both can had spent many years in and out of prison. Both were pyromaniacs.Both dressed as if they pilfired a Goodwill Bin and probably did.Micky wore a dirty coat of many colors,dirty brown cargo pants and Lil' Abner combat boots.Christopher wore a Phillies Jacket torn and dirty,with a Philadelphia Flyers jersey under it.He wore way outdated camouflage pants of a few centuries past.The Milton loved starting fires and had anal sex,while burning down buildings.The Khaladon Hierarchy paid them to burn down businesses,that they did like or was simply in their way of own plans.Mike and Christopher Milton like drink Stupidol Vodka and take Stupidol injections.That high was great,it turned them crazy mad,as it effect ed many brains cells and rewired ones brain.Micky and Christopher would hours in Stupidol Crack Suits.All decommissioned space suites,once used by NASA. Marcus Princeton -once claimed he have work for the magazine the Economist -even if you ask someone,who worked there,nobody heard of him working there at anytime.Marcus Princeton also claimed to be part Native American or American Indian.But records show,Princeton was born in Romania.Most likely,he was the child of Romanian Gypsies.Marcus Princeton also,like Micky and Christopher Milton like drink Stupidol Vodka.He claims to need this at least once a month.Truth was,Marcus was just a simple,stupid drunk,who needed liquid courage to get through life.More than like,he was drunk right now.Marcus,too dressed for shit.He wore an ill fitting blue suite.Brigadier General Theodore Marley Ham Brooks of Doc Savage pulps this guy wasn't.Oh and the seat of his pants,was nearly worn out.Marcus Princeton could hold any other job,other than picking trash at a local football stadium or handing flyers about some local bread company. Joey Brewster was an imbecile.No one argued that.Rumors had,he ran away from Albaqueche ,New Mexico,because during he raped some small boy,while in a Stupidol drunken stupor.The kid rated him out to local police and the father a 300 pound Mexican threatened to beat him to death,if he wasn't placed under the jail.Joey Brewster fled ,scared to death,the Mexican would catch up the little,skinny Vlad Dracula looking prick,in a dirty blue Linsey Wagner jump suite and Duncan MaCleod trench coat and do him in. Brian Rossi.What could one say ?He had all the brains of a brick.He looked a black man,who was run over by a trash truck several times.Fact is,rumors had,he was once hit the head,by a trash truck,while panhandling in the street.His left was damaged and replaced by an artificial eye.Rossi also dressed for utter shit.He looked as he wore Herb Tarlic of WKPR in Cincinnati hand me downs.Load stripped plaid pants.A wide white belt and Polo Shirts,from an idiot,who didn't even know what Polo was.He wore it,simply because someone told it showed class,like the rich white people do. He had stupid bitch of girl friend,who lived in boarding house situation,with four other guys in room.She obsessed over cleaning the place in strong bleach because she was basically nuts and afraid of germs. Brian Rossi was the kind of stupid,little shit would rob his family and then blame it on the next neighbors,who how magically enter the house and proceeded to command a surgical strike on the television,the radio,tools,toys and other valuables,without ever casing the join first. And day the cops caught Brian Rossi going out the window of his house ass first,with the brand new tv,the family brought for grandma.Stupid Rossi tried to tell the police,the ridiculous story that the front and back door was locked,and needed to use the side window to go and get the thing fixed. No one,not the cops nor anyone believed him. The family tried to back his story,but that didn't really work.No charge s were filed,but funny thing,Brian Rossi was banished from the Rossi home,never to return. These guys were the very flower of humanity,as Mister Spock might say. Elvin Mills and his stupid gang should have believed more dark urban myths,that stalk the criminal underworld. Because not believing ,would certainly proved fatal.Very fatal. Unexpectedly,the lights to the nearest Tower Farm suddenly went dark. Everyone near it was suddenly plunged to semi darkness.The lights of the other far off Hellstrom Tower Farms still gave a bit of light,but not enough to able to see clearly,in the twilight night. "What ?"Princeton called " Hey ! "Joey followed "Shit !" the Milton Brothers both said. "It's dark as shit out here !" Rossi added "Shut up,you guys"Elvin Mills." I'm trying to think. "I smell wood burning..when you try to think.!" " Go fuck yourself and do. "Mills Before Brian Rossi could add something,a noise interupted what little original thoughts he had. "Kah Wock !" something called "Kah Wock !" Elvin Mills looked affaid.So did the rest of the Mills Gang.Sweat beeded across their foreheads. "What the fuck is that?" Christopher Morton summoned up the courage to speak . "Shut up,stupid !" Elvin Mills angrily shot back. " It's nothing !Just some crows. It's just some crows.Stupid crows.! " "Ha ha ha ha ha !" a ethereal voice echoed somewhere about the air of the Hellstrom Tower Farm. "Ha ha ha ha ha !" "That wasn't some stupid crows,boss!" Christopher Milton responsed. "That's someone laughing." " Shut your yap,stupid.! " Elvin Mills barked. "The boss is an asshole.," Micky Milton cut in.He began to laugh like a hyena. Then something came out of the darkness ,swooped down and sliced it's sharped claws across Micky Milton's left cheek.He stopped laughing and cried out in pain.His black leather gloved left hand grabbed his face,trying to cover small droplets of blood. "Kah Wock !" something called again "Kah Wock !" "Fuckin pigeon." Mickey was screaming. Yes Mickey Milton wasn't too bright something thought above,hanging about one of the upper levels of the Tower Farm structure.But then again,weren't they all so stupid.Led here like flies to the spiders web. "Incorrect !" Joey Brewster called out in the twilight night. " Crows are not pigeons.Pigeons are like sparrows.Crows are like Hawks. " "Fuck you,Pigeon Boy.Fuck You!" Mickey Milton shot back miserably. "Your both wrong." Marcus Princeton cut in. "Crows aren't pigeons.Crows aren't Hawks.Pigeons are not Sparrows.Their doves,like the bars." "Fuck your birds and fuck your bars !" Mickey Milton croaked. "That fucking bird cut me !" " Should have cut off your tiny dick,white boy. "Brian Rossi cracked. " Fuck you,Spook.! " Mickey Milton "Suck my big 18 inche dick." Brian Rossi shot back. " 18 inches in your mind and up your black ass. " Mickey Milton "Your dicks smaller than mine!" "Ha ha ha ha ha ...fools !" a ethereal voice echoed somewhere about the air of the Hellstrom Tower Farm again. "Ha ha ha ha ha !" The Mills Gang looked around scared and wondered who or what was laughing. Somewhere they saw something moving about upon the farm.Whatever it was,it looked inhuman,as if some crossed a hover bike with a demonic horse.Someone -something road upon it's back and it was dispensing what ? Throwing bombs.Small black pumpkin bombs,that landed everywhere near by.They exploded and spread something...What ? Smoke ? No some sort of fawl smelling gas,that smelled like stink weed,mixed with skunk piss and human shit.The billowing fawl smoke came suddenly upon everyones lungs.The fawl smelling gas was causing everyone to choke.And something else was happening.It was making everyone affraid.They were getting scared more than they already were.All were sweating like it a hot summer day in July.Everyone was about to lose their lunch and anything in the bowels. The demonic horse was a STEED-a sort of huge mechanical horse,mixed with elements of a motorcycle and it was called Hellspawn.The Steed was also dispensing more black smoke.The demon metal horse was laying down several sharp road spikes about the perimeter of the nearest Tower Farm. Suddenly,a flock of crows came swooping down and attacked the gang.Everyone threw up their hands to defend themselves.In a panic,everyone began running about,as the crows swooped in and out,clawing at the gang.Pandemonium ensued, Mickey Milton ran this way and Christopher Milton ran that way. Brian Rossi began to couch to his knees and pissed himself. "Lordy !Lordy !" Brian Rossi screamed " All hells breakin' lose.Help me! I'm losing my mind. " ""Ha ha ha ha ha !" a ethereal voice echoed somewhere about the air of the Hellstrom Tower Farm again. "Ha ha ha ha ha ! You'll lose more your mind !" "It's him !" Joey Brewster screeched " It's the fucking Ghost of the Dark Scarecrow ! " " You mean it's that fucking guy ! " Marcus Princeton said ,as he shit himself. "It's that fucking guy !" " Shut up you,dicks ! "Elvin Mills ordered "There is no fucking Ghost of the Dark Scarecrow ! It's all Bullshit !" Unexpectedly,Joey Brewster standing there and he was magically drawn up into the darkness,as somewhere a sharp crack as of a bull whip issued forth.The body,ragged dirty trench coat and all went up towards the nearest Tower Farm and disappeared.Somewhere above the sound something breaking,like a neck could be heard by the rest of the Mills Gang.Many of them,if not all felt a cold shiver running up their collective backs.Somehow,they knew.They all knew.They had crossed a line,that no could ever go back on. "Is that Bullshit ?"Christopher Milton yelped "Is that Bullshit,stupid ?" "Bullshit or no,I'm gettin outta here.Feet do your stuff !" Rossi cursed . Suddenly,there was another crack of a bull whip and Brian Rossi grabbed his throat with both hand.He then was unexpectedly drawn up and into the upper darkness of the Tower Farm.Somewhere a sharp crack,like someone breaking celery was heard . And like that of the Mills Gang were down and out.Elvin Mills was becoming scared.Never had his foolish,pathetic gang fuck up like this. " Who are you ? "Elvin Mills was screaming into the darkness.Looking up towards the night sky.Mills was still trying to cover himself,as the dark crows swooped down upon him,cutting his dark leather motorcycle jacket. "Don't you know ?!Didn't you hear ?! " the hellish voice echoed from about everywhere and no where at the same time."Evil never sleeps.But also never does the Dark Scarecrow." "And wherever evil shows it's ugly head,the Dark Scarecrow will return and call down the lightning of vengeance ,upon the dark hearts of men." The Mills gang were still trying to avoid the swooping black birds.Mickey Milton was being torn to shreds.Sharp claws raked at his multiple colored jacket. Christopher tried to withdraw his pistol,but a crow swooped down and removed the weapon from his gloved right hand. Marcus Princeton simply laid there,in his shitty pants. " This is my call . "the voice called "This is my vengeance ! " "This is who I am .I am the Dark Scarecrow !" the voice ended. "Fuck you,Scarecrow !" Elvin cursed " We came for the loot and we're here to get it.Hear that ?And no fucking Ghost is going to stop us...stop me ! " "You can shove your loot." Marcus Princeton went screaming,as he finally summoned up the courage to stand up and run into the night. "I'm getting outta here .!" Unexpectedly,Marcus Princetons escape route was blocked off by the demonic robot horse.Princeton tried move lelt,but the horse,if that was this blocked him again.He tried moving right and the Hellspawn blocked that,too. "Hellspawn ...stop !" a hellish voice ordered .The demonic metal horse applied. "Please let me go ?" Marcus Princeton cried ,as he pissed himself in fear. " Too late ! "a tattered figure in a long,dark brown trench coat and black cape stood before him.The dark phantom wore a dark brown woven clothe shirt,like those worn about two or three centuries ago.He wore tattered pants of the same color and leather boots,wrapped in leather strips.The figure wore a dark,black three cornered hat,also torn and tattered in various places.Straggly straw like tan hair,dangled from under it.The figures wore leather gloves at the end of his long coat. The nightmare face was the worst.It looked like a flour sake,with inverted triangle shaped eyes,a black nose below and a jagged mouth,like that of a Jack O Lantern.The scarecrow s eyes glowed bright scarlet,also like that of a Jack O Lantern. The Scarecrow raised it's right tattered hand and glowing ball grew out the dark phantom palm.The ball lightning grew and grew in intensity,until it seemed consumed his whole hand.The dark figure twisted his rist and the glowing ball shot out is an arch of electricity.A bolt of lightening hit Marcus Princeton directly in the chest,killing him instantly. " The rest of you...I know who you are ! "the Dark Scarecrow coldly voiced "I know who you all are.I've always known.You are all doomed.!" Mickey and Christopher Milton froze.Both two little perverted firebugs became scared.So scared.As if they could see the future,they somehow knew.It was as if the Dark Scarecrow was telepathically transferring his thoughts.And perhaps,he was. "You two ...enjoy fire.Enjoy the flames !" the ebony figure coldly stated. " Here...perhaps you might enjoy this flame.! " From out of the same gloved hand,that summoned the ball of lightening,came a new kind of glow.It wasn't white,but a yellowish red,like that of a forest fire.It too,grew in intensive size.The Dark Scarecrow raised his hand again and two rows of plasma flame consumed the two Milton Brothers.Instantly,the brother went screaming,as the funeral pyre burned about them,turning into bits of charred clothing,flesh and bone.The two fell over in a black,smoldering heap.The Milton Brothers would set their last fire. Several other scarecrow figures emerged from around the near by Tower Farm structure and surrounded Mills.He starting to sweat again.Were these other figures real or he just hallucinating ? That fawl gas had some of fear agent and could be bringing on delusional thinking.Not he was far delusional thinking in the first place.Much of his existence,was a fantasy wrapped with his stupid delusions of life. The Dark Scarecrow turned towards Elvin Mills.Elvin soon became scared.Very scared.He began to shake and sweat all over.His four members of his pathetic gang was obviously dead. Mills knew what was next.He knew,like he knew everything in his whole life.Like the insane lies he told everyone about his former wife and daughter.He began to abuse his wife Jennifer about a year after his daughter Demi was born.Soon the two stopped having sex.Well,if you don't count the two times Elvin Mills raped his wife.His daughter was ten,when started molesting her and when Jennifer Mills found,her brother the FBI Special Agent fixed it,that Elvin Mills left the house forever.He wandered the streets until he found a home here and place for ugly,twisted soul might fit in. But now...he knew,deep down in the bottom of his evil soul,even that pathetic as it was,was about to end.All the Evil Karma he gathered up was about to come here here and make him pay the price..the ultimate price...Death. "You...Elvin Mills ...stand clear ! " the Dark Scarecrow ordered. Elvin Mills tried to run,but his feet was caught in a artic blast of cold frost.He fell to his knees screaming.The Dark Scarecrows hand was holding a ball of snow in 70 degrees summer weather.m "Shit fuck !" the thug cried. "Dear God !" " You should not call to someone,you do not believe in or serve. "the Scarecrow breathed "You should call on Deacon Shaitanus or one his Shaitanus minions." "You bored all who are near you with silly fantasies about how government took away your wife and child.Your child..." the Dark Scarecrow went on "your daughter,who is about 25 by now,has her own life and only remembers in her datkest hours of the night,as the rapist you really are. " "No,it's not true !" Elvin Mills cried disparately " She loved me.She still loves me. " "Maybe once...but not anymore." the Dark Scarecrow stated firmly " You lost all when you began to engage in your filthy practices. " The Scarecrow produced a great bull whip from under his great coat and flipped it's snake like coils to whip around Elvin Mills.A jolt of electricity also went into Mills body.The black crows still swooping about his head. Crack ! The whip spoke. Kha-raw !Kha-raw ! the dark crows call from above. Crack ! It spoke again . Kha-raw !Kha-raw ! the dark crows call from all about again. Crack !It spoke for a third time. Kha-raw !Kha-raw ! the dark crows call from all about. "To you,to her you are nothing.!" the Dark Scarecrow ended. The Scarecrow savagely pulled on the whip and Elvin screams could be heard all over the Hellstrom Tower Farm. "Please ! Mercy ! " Elvin Mills cried "Help meee ! Somebody !" " There is no one here to help you ! " the Tattered Phantom raged "Did you show mercy to your family ? Your brother when you beat him to death,when he threatened to fire you ?" "I knew you would come here.You and your....boys." the grim ragged Spector foretold. "We were ready for you.My people have eyes and ears everywhere...even in the criminal underworld.This was all a set up to take out some trash." " No !Not....true ! " Elvin whimpered. "My Council of Scarecrows,what should be done with him ?" the Dark Scarecrow asked, as if he did not know the answer already. "Freedom or Death ?" " Death !Death ! " the other scarecrows called out in unison. "DEATH !" "You heard the sentence of the jury. " the Tattered Figure said,looking about. "You have been judged by a jury of your peers." " Mercy ! " Elvin Mills whimpered. No ! You are done and so am I ! " The Dark Scarecrow Finished.A massively huge amount of electricity charged through the bullwhip and shoot into Elvin Mills body.He seem to dance a bit,even on his knees and shit himself at the same time.His head began to smoke and Elvin Mills-rapist,murderer,delusional nutjob,fugitive,homeless bum died all,in that instant. Some people thought the Dark Scarecrow 's methods were too hard.That criminals were just mentally ill people and be treated with kindness.Well,that kindness is often seen as a weakness to be exploited.And the crow felt that they should never get a chance to exploit any kind such as that. The Dark Scarecrow stood over the remaining four dead bodies.The pathetic lives and careers of five losers who were gone and good riddance.Every life isn't precious.Not these lives anyway.Some just exist and feed off society like parasites on a great fish.And in the end ,give nothing back to society and make everyone else's lives hell around them.Here ended the miserable existences of Elvin Mills,Mickey and Christopher Milton,Marcus Princeton,Joey Brewster and Brian Rossi.No one was going to miss them.Not a single soul would miss them.Not even their families,whom they all betrayed and shit on long ago.They would just be glad to be rid of the burden of having to deal with them. Behind the Dark Scarecrow several figures emerged as the Tower Farms light behind went back on.The other scarecrows removed the sack like hoods and black hats.They were various people that worked for the Hellstrom Tower Farm Association,LLC. and the Hellstrom Food Corporation,LLC.Most were farm hand and so on,loyal to Ethan Hellstrom,the 13th and family. One man,a short,stocky,almost gorilla like,with red hair stepped forward. "Well boss."Aron Daniels , the Fourth commented "Guess you was right,like always." "Nothing about being right." the Dark Scarecrow spoke, as pulled off his horrific scarecrow mask and black tattered hat. "Just that these kind of assholes are so predictable." Ethan Hellstrom,the 13th was a handsome man, about mid thirties,with reddish dark short hair and green grey eyes.He was the 13th in a line of men ,who bore name.He was also the 13th in that line,that strangely enough bore the mantle of the Dark Scarecrow.The crow,originally started as a revenge against what the ignorant British Troops did his farm,up here in Main.But soon,the Legend of the Dark Scarecrow consumed a fight against any aspect of evil.Any criminal in these parts or other became a target of the Dark Tattered Avenger. Some speculated that the British Troops used something akin to the Scarecrow Gas he used.Wear they got no one knows.Obviously,King George had help from outer world associations and they got advanced technology from their. The original Ethan Hellstroms Family,knew about the Time-Vault buried under their farm and told by the Time-Wizard Thuzan Thule Sarkhon to keep it a secret unless necessary to tell other people.Ethan Hellstrom the First found it necessary to tell his farm hand,when the British raided his farm.And the Derick s became loyalist to the Hellstrom cause-especially since many of them were harms by the British. The Vault was an amazing place.It contained several levels -sub basements to the farm house,all connected by two elevators-one a passenger elevator and one a cargo elevator.The cargo elevator lifted up,not into the house,but the nearby barn.That you lift up cars,trucks and the STEED called it Hellspawn. The Vault contained criminal science labs,cryogenic labs,an armory,a holographic library and central computer core,to back files in emergency situations.It had prison cells,worldwide communication center and a gym.It contained several levels for motor vehicles and flying craft. "So boss,what should we do with them ?"Aron Daniels said refering to the recently deceased Mills Gang. " You know same as usual.Place their bodies about the area,so the criminal underworld will know it is the work of the Dark Scarecrow. " "Ok,boss."Aron Daniels ended. "Ok.boys.You know what to do.The boss want the usual things done.No one is to know these four were ever here.We dispose of anything,that ties their existence to this farm." Aron Daniels barked. " You Herbie.Get rid that car,they came.Place it somewhere far from here.And you,Arthur.Get a detail to round up the bodies.We'll leave them all over the town and make it look,they died there.Snap to it guys.We got to get up and run this farm,as if none of this ever happened. " Everyone did move and went to work.Within an hour,the Hellstrom Tower Farm was clean.Totally clean.Anyone,not observant would never know anything happened here at all.In another hour,all the bodies were placed on doorsteps of dive bars,back alleyways,near dumpsters or near local drug user hangouts.The Police assumed the usual or that s what they told everyone.Suicides.Murder.Death by natural causes.Why should they care,if some phantom urban myth killed a few nobodies,no one care for anyway.They had more important things to do,like get doughnuts and coffee. The original Aron Daniels was once saved by the Original Ethan Hellstromm Ethan Hellstrom this wasn't the end.Far from it.For centuries,the Hellstrom clan,secretly waged a war on crime,with often,not always the local authorities turning a blind eye.After all ,they had more important things to do,like get doughnuts and coffee.And Ethan Hellstrom knew this.He was a kind of criminal underworld trash collector. He knew tomorrow would bring the usual thing.His network of spies would come to him and tell about some knew criminal smoe up to no good.Some drifter who blew into town,looking to exploit the good population.Some loser,who just got out of town and wanted to apply his or her old profession.And then,there were the locals,who thought there was a sucker born every minute and meant easy money everyday,twenty four seven 356 days a year. Jonathan Helstromm although publicly is Tower Farmer,he also a master strategist,a brilliant detective,a criminalologist.He is also a brilliant psychiatrist who specializes in fear and phobias. With this knowledge, he knows how to use words to affect a person's actions,along with the effects of the fawl smelling Scarecrow Formula. He is also an accomplished biochemist for his invention of fear gas that causes his victims to experience nightmarish hallucinations. He wears his Scarecrow mask to enhance the effect of the hallucinogen. The mask contains filters to protect him from his own gas. Prolonged exposure to his own gas has damaged Helstromm's brain despite measures that have been made to protect himself from it, rendering him nearly incapable of being afraid of anything, except destruction of his own mentality. This is problematic for him, as he is addicted to fear and compulsively seeks out confrontations with situations such as crime fighting to feed his addiction to adventure. In fact,it has been theorized by Doctor Theodore Oswald Thorndyke-descendent of the Original Oswald Thorndyke,that the "Scarecrow Formula " not only effected all of the Hellstromm family lines mentality,but strengthening all to follow a war against the criminal underworld. Hellstromm using his Scarecrow Armor gains the ability to turn into a lethal monster with greatly enhanced strength, endurance, and a fear gas he emits from smoke grenades or special gas shooters in his wrist. However, Ethan Helstromm,like all of his line suffer under physical strain or duress to transform into the Dark Scarecrow persona. Ethan Christopher Hellstromm, born 1729, is portrayed as a brilliant scholar from Queen's College, Dunwitch City, possessing swashbuckling skills such as riding, fencing, and seamanship.He was content to live the quiet life of a farmer in Elderich County-under-the-Wall under the patronage of Sir Charles Cobtree, the father of his best friend Anthony Cobtree.Colonel Nicholas Thornton sought to seduce and marry young Sarah Hathaway,not for love,but to gain control of her vast fortune and gain more power among the American Colonies. But forces plotted against Ethan Christopher Hellstrom.Colonel Thornton decided to simply remove Ethan Hellstromm,by convincing his superiors,that that the Hellstromm Farm was possibility a American Rebel hideout.Colonel Nicholas Thornton sacked the Farm and left a beatened Ethan Hellstromm for dead upon a Scarecrow. With done beautiful young beautiful Sarah Hathaway was seduced by and eloped with Nicholas Thornton, whom Dr. Hellstromm had once considered a close friend. Ethan Christopher Hellstromm set out on a quest for revenge, always managing to reach the eloped pair's destinations ahead of them just in time to terrify them against landing and facing him in a deliberate campaign of terror under the guise of the Dark Scarecrow. While sailing from Spain to America in pursuit, his ship was captured by the pirate ship The Dark Revenge, commanded by Captain Deacon Shaitanus . In a one-on-one fight, Hellstromm defeated and killed Captain Deacon Shaitanus to take command of his ship and crew; among them was Mr. Aron Daniels, a former Royal Navy carpenter with whom Hellstromm had become friends in America after rescuing him from the Customs men. Aron Daniels swore loyalty to Hellstromm from that time onward. The Dark Scarecrow caught up Colonel Thornton,killing him with a sword and rescuing Sarah Hathaway.Hellstromm confiding in Sarah telling him of his other identity as the Dark Scarecrow.Sarah Hathaway became not only his wife,but an allie of the Scarecrow. After this, Hellstromm decided that he could only protect his people by becoming their leader. He created a more elaborate scarecrow costume, with eerie luminous paint. Riding Gehenna at night, the respectable Dr. Hellstromm became "The Scarecrow", the feared head of the smugglers. Together with Daniels, he organized the smugglers into a well-organized band of "Night Riders", also called "The Devil Riders", with macabre disguises and code-names. Ethan Hellstromm's cunning was so great that the smugglers outwitted the government forces for many years. A hidden stable watched over by Mother Hathaway, the local "witch" (who believed the Scarecrow to be The Devil in living form), was the hiding place for the horses of the Scarecrow and his lieutenants, Daniels and the local highwayman Jimmie Bone (who, being as good a horseman as Hellstromm and of similar build, was sometimes called upon to impersonate the Scarecrow when Hellstromm either had to be elsewhere or seen in the same place.). Shortly after the first appearances of the Scarecrow, Colonel Nicholas Thornton along with"Captain Eldon Delacourt") and the ailing Sarah Hathaway returned to England, ending up in Dymchurch. Recognizing Hellstromm as Hellstromm, Thornton realized that Hellstromm and the Scarecrow were the same and helped the authorities set a trap for him, hoping to both rid himself of his enemy and claim the reward for his capture. The trap was sprung, but Squire Cobtree's daughter Charlotte, who had fallen in love with Hellstromm and also learned his secret identities as both Hellstromm and the Scarecrow, was the tragic victim when she dressed in the Scarecrow's disguise and was fatally wounded as a result. Thornton was then suspected of being the Scarecrow, and a Customs officer and three constables came to arrest him. In the ensuing fight, Thornton killed the Customs man and the constables subdued and arrested Thornton for murdering the Customs officer. He is also an accomplished biochemist for his invention of fear gas that causes his victims to experience nightmarish hallucinations. He wears his Scarecrow mask to enhance the effect of the hallucinogen. The mask contains filters to protect him from his own gas. Prolonged exposure to his own gas has damaged Helstromm's brain despite measures that have been made to protect himself from it, rendering him nearly incapable of being afraid of anything, except destruction of his own mentality. This is problematic for him, as he is addicted to fear and compulsively seeks out confrontations with situations such as crime fighting to feed his addiction to adventure. In fact,it has been theorized by Doctor Theodore Oswald Thorndyke-descendent of the Original Oswald Thorndyke,that the "Scarecrow Formula " not only effected all of the Hellstromm family lines mentality,but strengthening all to follow a war against the criminal underworld.Hellstromm Hellstromm soon became aware that his parishioners were smuggling goods from France to avoid the excessive customs duties the government charged. Learning from Daniels (who, contrary to Hellstromm's orders, had become a leader of the smugglers) that certain townsfolk had been ambushed and captured during a smuggling run, Hellstromm used the great black stallion Steed Hellspawn left by Knight Avengers Investigation,Inc-traders and raced to their rescue. A suit of clothing borrowed from a scarecrow made an improvised disguise mixed his Dark Avenger armor, and Hellstromm and Daniels were able to rescue the townsfolk from the Dragoons. One of the Original Dark Avengers,Chistopher Guardner showed and for a time,trained Ethan Hellstrom in the use of this unique weapon.Leaving,Guardner gave his concent to use the weapons and actics of Knight Avenger Investigations,Inc.It was not too soon afterwards,Hellstromm fourmed Dark Scarecrow Enterprises,Inc.This involve anyone,who was loyalist to the Scarecrows cause and carry out his orders -even becoming the Dark Scarecrow,when situation s proved that Ethan Hellstromm needed to elsewhere or throw pursuers or simply make it look as if the Dark Scarecrow is everywhere. After this, Hellstromm decided that he could only protect his people by becoming their leader. He created a more elaborate scarecrow costume, with eerie luminous paint. Riding Hellspawn at night, the respectable Dr. Hellstromm became "The Scarecrow", the feared head of the smugglers. Together with Daniels, he organized the smugglers into a well-organized band of "Night Riders", also called "The Devil Riders", with macabre disguises,mostly alternative versions of the Dark Scarecrow uniform and code-names like Crow One and Crow Two. Ethan Hellstromm's cunning was so great that the smugglers outwitted the government forces for many years. A hidden stable watched over by Mother Hathaway, the local "witch" (who let per believed the Scarecrow to be The Devil in living form), was the hiding place for the horses of the Scarecrow and his lieutenants, Daniels and the local highwayman Jimmie Brown (who, being as good a horseman as Hellstromm and of similar build, was sometimes called upon to impersonate the Scarecrow when Hellstromm either had to be elsewhere or seen in the same place.). Shortly after the first appearances of the Scarecrow, Colonel Nicholas Thornton along with"Captain Eldon Devereau") and the ailing Deacon Shaitanus claimed to have returned to England, ending up in Elderich County. Hellstromm being shocked as two individuals,he knew as dead alive,desided to such a secret.Recognizing events as were , Thornton realized that Hellstromm and the Scarecrow were the same and helped the authorities set a trap for him, hoping to both rid himself of his enemy and claim the reward for his capture. The trap was sprung, but Squire Hathaway 's daughter Charlotte, who had fallen in love and married Ethan Hellstromm and also learned his secret identities as both Hellstromm and the Scarecrow. But Ethan Hellstromm and his Scarecrow Night Riders fixed Colonel Thornton was going be the tragic victim when he dressed in the Scarecrow's disguise and was fatally wounded as a result. Thornton was then suspected of being the Scarecrow, and a Customs officer and three constables came to arrest him. In the ensuing fight, Thornton killed the Customs man and the constables subdued and arrested Thornton for murdering the Customs officer.Thorn went to gallows,declaring he was not the Dark Scarecrow,but no one believed him. That was until the Dark Scarecrow returned.And those believe d that was either a bunch of imitators or simply a ghost of the Original Dark Scarecrow. Ethan Hellstroms,like all his kind knew tomorrow brought new evils.New criminal sleep.The criminal mind,thinks it is smarter than everyone else.And in the end,will ultimately win,even though the world is all against them. He knew evil never sleeps,but so never does the Dark Scarecrow. And wherever evil shows it's ugly head,the Dark Scarecrow will return and call down the lightning of vengeance upon the dark hearts of men." And that was The Legend of the Dark Scarecrow. Epilogue The Dark Scarecrow,originally created somewhere in the late_1980s,was particularly inspired by Doctor Hellstromm.the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh.It was a Disney Series,I saw as a child and thought what a wonderful idea.The idea of a man,fighting evil like the Batman or the Shadow by putting on a Scarecrow persona seemed ideal for an adventure series.I thought,why wasn't this concept taking on further like the Batman or the Shadow.I know author Russel Thoorndike wrote other Dr.Syn stories,but they seem to not involve the character of the Scarecrow. Doctor Syn Page issues The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn is the smuggler hero of a series of novels by Russell Thorndike.The first book, Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh was published in 1915. The story idea came from smuggling in the 18th century Romney Marsh,where brandy and tobacco were brought in at night by boat from France to avoid high tax. Minor battles were fought, sometimes at night, between gangs of smugglers, such as the Hawkhurst Gang, and the Revenue, supported by the army and local militias in the South, Kent and the West, Sussex. Contents Character biography Christopher Syn, born 1729, is portrayed as a brilliant scholar from Queen's College, Oxford, possessing swashbuckling skills such as riding, fencing, and seamanship.He was content to live the quiet life of a country vicar in Dymchurch-under-the-Wall under the patronage of Sir Charles Cobtree, the father of his best friend Anthony Cobtree, until his beautiful young Spanish wife Imogene was seduced by and eloped with Nicholas Tappitt, whom Dr. Syn had considered a close friend. Christopher Syn set out on a quest for revenge, always managing to reach the eloped pair's destinations ahead of them just in time to terrify them against landing and facing him in a deliberate campaign of terror. While sailing from Spain to America in pursuit, his ship was captured by the pirate ship The Dark Pit, commanded by Captain Deacon Shaitanus . In a one-on-one fight, Syn defeated and killed Captain Deacon Shaitanus to take command of his ship and crew; among them was Mr. Aron Daniels, a former Royal Navy carpenter with whom Syn had become friends in England after rescuing him from the Customs men. Aron Daniels swore loyalty to Syn from that time onward. With Mipps at his side, Syn turned to piracy and became a great success. Later, when his crew refused to let Syn leave, Syn and Daniels slipped away in one of the ship's boats; unknown to Syn, Mipps had arranged a convenient "accident" in the ship's powder magazine with an exploding barrel of gunpowder, eliminating witnesses of Syn's piratical acts. Mipps then joined Syn in his quest for revenge, pursuing Tappitt and Imogene throughout the thirteen American colonies (supposedly preaching the gospel to the Indians) and around the world (as part of a whaling voyage) afterwards. Mipps was with him in the Caribbean when Dr. Syn turned again to piracy, assuming the name of Captain Clegg (taking the name "Clegg" from a certain vicious biting fly he had encountered in America)., "Clegg" hijacked his enemy Tappitt's own ship and crew and sailed off with them (renaming the ship the Imogene) to become the most infamous pirate of the day. However, a mulatto who escaped the destruction of Syn's previous ship stowed away in Clegg's ship and accused him before the crew; Clegg quelled the potential mutiny by having the mulatto's tongue cut out, marooning him on a coral reef and violently killing Yellow Pete, the ship's Chinese cook, who represented the crew in their wish to rescue the mulatto. Afterwards, realizing that Clegg had become too notorious, Syn decided to abandon his quest and return to England, and Mipps set up a second "accidental" explosion to destroy the Imogene and her crew. Syn returned to England on the night of a storm (13 November 1775.) that wrecked his brig off the English coast in sight of Dymchurch. That night he went to the house of his old friend (and now squire) Anthony Cobtree. When news came that the local vicar had drowned while trying to save victims of the shipwreck, Squire Cobtree offered the post to Christopher Syn. Syn accepted and settled down to a more respectable life as the vicar of Dymchurch and Dean of Peculiars in Romney Marsh, Kent, resuming his original name. Mipps arrived in Dymchurch with the intent of settling down. Syn made him the village sexton upon condition that Mipps "remember to forget" (that Syn had been Clegg and that they had known each other before), and that Mipps never get involved with the local smugglers. Syn soon became aware that his parishioners were smuggling goods from France to avoid the excessive customs duties the government charged. Learning from Mipps (who, contrary to Syn's orders, had become a leader of the smugglers) that certain townsfolk had been ambushed and captured during a smuggling run, Syn purchased the great black stallion Gehenna from gypsy horse-traders and raced to their rescue. A suit of clothing borrowed from a scarecrow made an improvised disguise, and Syn and Mipps were able to rescue the townsfolk from the Dragoons. After this, Syn decided that he could only protect his people by becoming their leader. He created a more elaborate scarecrow costume, with eerie luminous paint. Riding Gehenna at night, the respectable Dr. Syn became "The Scarecrow", the feared head of the smugglers. Together with Mipps, he organized the smugglers into a well-organized band of "Night Riders", also called "The Devil Riders", with macabre disguises and code-names. Syn's cunning was so great that the smugglers outwitted the government forces for many years. A hidden stable watched over by Mother Handaway, the local "witch" (who believed the Scarecrow to be The Devil in living form), was the hiding place for the horses of the Scarecrow and his lieutenants, Mipps and the local highwayman Jimmie Bone (who, being as good a horseman as Syn and of similar build, was sometimes called upon to impersonate the Scarecrow when Syn either had to be elsewhere or seen in the same place.). Shortly after the first appearances of the Scarecrow, Nicholas Tappitt (using the name "Colonel Delacourt") and the ailing Imogene returned to England, ending up in Dymchurch. Recognizing Syn as Clegg, Tappitt realized that Syn and the Scarecrow were the same and helped the authorities set a trap for him, hoping to both rid himself of his enemy and claim the reward for his capture. The trap was sprung, but Squire Cobtree's daughter Charlotte, who had fallen in love with Syn and also learned his secret identities as both Clegg and the Scarecrow, was the tragic victim when she dressed in the Scarecrow's disguise and was fatally wounded as a result. Tappitt was then suspected of being the Scarecrow, and a Customs officer and three constables came to arrest him. In the ensuing fight, Tappitt killed the Customs man and the constables subdued and arrested Tappitt for murdering the Customs officer. After Imogene's death in Syn's arms (during which she revealed to him that he had a son by her who was missing somewhere in America), Syn fought a final duel with Tappitt in his jail cell, defeating him. Syn then struck a bargain with Tappitt: If Tappitt confessed to being the notorious pirate Clegg, then Syn would look after and care for Tappitt and Imogene's new-born infant daughter (also named Imogene). Tappitt agreed, and "Captain Clegg" was hanged and later "buried without benefit of clergy at a cross-roads hard by the Kent Ditch." Many years later, Captain Collyer, a Royal Navy officer assigned to smash the local smuggling ring, uncovered the deception and Dr. Syn's true identity, thanks in part to the tongueless mulatto (who had been rescued by Collyer years before and who had been serving Collyer as a "ferret" seeking out hidden contraband) who recognized Syn as Clegg. Syn evaded capture while at the same time making sure that Imogene and Squire Cobtree's son Denis (who had fallen in love with Imogene) would have a happy life together (they were eventually married), but was murdered in revenge by the mulatto, who then mysteriously managed to escape, leaving Syn harpooned through the neck. As a last mark of respect, Collyer ordered that Syn be buried at sea, rather than have his body hung in chains. Mipps escaped in the confusion of Syn's death and disappeared from England, but it is said that a little man very much like him is living out his days in a Buddhist Monastery somewhere in the Malay Peninsula, delighting the monks with recounting the adventures of Doctor Syn and the eerie stories of the Romney Marsh and the mysterious Scarecrow and his Night Riders. Publication history The Dr. Syn books detail his adventures and attempts to help the people of Dymchurch and the surrounding area evade the Excise tax. There are: Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh (1915) Doctor Syn on the High Seas (1935) Doctor Syn Returns (1935) Further Adventures of Doctor Syn (1936) Courageous Exploits of Doctor Syn (1938) Amazing Quest of Doctor Syn (1939) Shadow of Doctor Syn (1944) Note that the "first" book, Doctor Syn, is actually the final story chronologically; the others proceed in published sequence. An expanded version of Doctor Syn Returns titled The Scarecrow Rides was published for the US market by The Dial Press in 1935 and later re-printed in paperback by Black Curtain Press in 2013 (ISBN 978-1627554459). In 1960, American author William Buchanan reworked Thorndike's Further Adventures of Doctor Syn under the title Christopher Syn (New York, Abelard Schuman), giving Thorndike co-authorship credit; this version provides a different conclusion and some conflation, renaming and even removal of the supporting characters. Christopher Syn became the basis for the 1962 Disney production (see below); there was also a novelization of the Disney theatrical version, titled Doctor Syn, Alias the Scarecrow and written by Vic Crume. In other media Films Three film adaptations have been made of Dr. Syn's exploits. Doctor Syn (1937) The first, Doctor Syn (1937), starred the actor George Arliss in the title role and was his last film. Captain Clegg (1962) Captain Clegg (1962), known as Night Creatures in the U. S., was produced by Hammer Film Productions with actor Peter Cushing in the lead role, directed by Peter Graham Scott. In the screenplay by Anthony Hinds, the main character's name was changed from Doctor Syn to Parson Blyss to avoid rights problems with Disney's forthcoming version, and Captain Clegg's screenplay follows the novel Doctor Syn and the screenplay of the 1937 film closely with the exception of a tightening of the plot. In the Arliss movie Doctor Syn, Syn escapes to sea with Mipps and the rest of the Dymchurch smugglers, whereas Captain Clegg ends more faithfully to the novel, with Parson Blyss being killed by the mulatto (who is then killed by Mipps) and then being carried to and buried in Captain Clegg's empty grave by Mipps. Captain Clegg was released in the UK on DVD and Blu-ray in 2014; Night Creatures was never released on videotape in the United States, but is included in the 2014 two-disc DVD collection The Hammer Horror Series. The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (1963) The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (1963) was produced for the Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color TV series. It was shot on location in England and was directed by James Neilson. It stars Patrick McGoohan in the title role, with George Cole as Mipps and Sean Scully as John Banks, the younger son of Squire Banks (Michael Hordern). Part One dealt with the arrival of General Pugh (Geoffrey Keen), who had been ordered by the War Office to smash the smuggling ring and prevent the Scarecrow from rescuing a Dymchurch man captured by a naval press gang as bait to trap the Scarecrow. Part Two depicted The Scarecrow dealing with the traitorous Joe Ransley (Patrick Wymark). Part Three showed how the Scarecrow rescued Harry Banks (David Buck) and American Simon Bates (Tony Britton) from General Pugh's clutches in Dover Castle. While originally conceived and edited for American television (and announced in an advertisement by NBC in the Tuesday, July 9, 1963 issue of The Hollywood Reporter), The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh was re-edited for a British theatrical run before the American television debut. Retitled Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow, the British theatrical version was released on a double bill with The Sword in the Stone, and ran during the 1963 Christmas season (advertised in the January 1964 issue of Photoplay). This version was shown in Europe as well as Central and South America through 1966. In the 1970s, the production was re-edited again for its first American theatrical release, on double bills with both Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Treasure Island. (The VHS version of the 1980s, sharing the removal of the Scarecrow's laugh from Terry Gilkyson's title song, was expanded to include the story material from all three TV episodes, while retaining feature film structure and credits; it was available for a relatively short amount of time.) Shortly after the US theatrical run, it was re-edited once more for a two-part presentation on Disney's television series in the 1970s, simply omitting the middle segment. The original three-part version was first shown as part of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color on February 9, 16 and 23, 1964. Later it was included in a late 1980s Wonderful World of Disney syndication rerun package, and cablecast in 1990s on the Disney Channel. This version generally followed the storyline of The Further Adventures of Dr. Syn and made it clear that Syn did not die or stage his own death: at film's end, he is having a cup of tea with the Squire, who admits to now owing a debt of gratitude to the Scarecrow. On November 11, 2008 The Walt Disney Company released a limited pressing of 39,500 issues of The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh in DVD format for the first time as a part of the Disney Treasures collection, and was now called Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh. The issue sold out in three weeks, but as of February 17, 2009 the DVD was made available for members of the Disney movie club for $29.95. The two-disc set includes the American television version and the original British theatrical version Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow in widescreen format. It also includes the original introductions by Walt Disney (in which he erroneously indicates that Dr. Syn was an actual historical figure) and a documentary on Disney's interest in the property. St Clement's Church in Old Romney doubled as Dr Syn’s Dymchurch parish church in the production and Disney funded the repair of the building in order to use it as a filming location. Other adaptations Made in 1974, Carry On Dick, of the celebrated Carry On series of films, followed the same premise of a country vicar (Sid James) who is secretly an outlaw, in this case the highwayman Dick Turpin. Theatre Edit In 2001 a stage adaptation titled Doctor Syn was performed at churches throughout the Romney Marsh, the final night being performed in Dymchurch itself. The cast featured Daniel Thorndike (the author's son), Michael Fields, Steven Povey and Ben Barton, along with various amateurs from the area. Audio adaptations Doctor Syn Rufus Sewell read a 10-part audio adaptation combining and abridging Doctor Syn on the High Seas and Doctor Syn Returns for BBC Radio, broadcast on BBC Radio 7 in December 2006 and repeated in June 2007. The Further Adventures of Doctor Syn A 10-part audio adaptation of The Further Adventures of Doctor Syn (combining and abridging The Further Adventures of Doctor Syn and The Shadow of Doctor Syn) read by Rufus Sewell was performed on BBC Radio 7 in December 2007. The Last of Doctor Syn In April 2009, a third series was announced for broadcast later in 2009. BBC Radio 7 broadcast the six-part series, an abridged reading by Rufus Sewell of the original Doctor Syn novel, from January 4, 2010 to January 11. No Quarter John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin reinterpreted elements of the Doctor Syn story as his "No Quarter" fantasy sequence in Led Zeppelin's concert film The Song Remains the Same. Comic books A three-issue adaptation of the Disney production was published by Gold Key Comics under the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh title, spanning April 1964 through October 1965. A much abridged revision of the adventures of Dr. Syn appeared as a short comic serialized in the monthly publication Disney Adventures. The new story features the heroic Doctor and his young sidekick protecting innocent villagers from corrupt government officials and soldiers. Doctor Syn appears in the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series as a member of the league gathered by Lemuel Gulliver. His alter ego, Captain Clegg, also makes appearances, where he is mentioned to have had a brief romantic liaison with future teammate Fanny Hill. In the 2003 film adaptation of League, Dr. Syn can be spotted in one of the portraits hanging on the wall in M's library. Cultural legacy A "Days of Syn" festival is held even-numbered years by Dymchurch residents for fund-raising. The 2006 "Days of Syn" was on 26–28 August (UK August Bank Holiday weekend) and featured a talk on Dr. Syn at the Anglican church at 6:30 p.m. On Sunday at 3 p.m. there was a church service where Dr. Syn and the cast appeared in period costume. On Monday, starting at the Bowery Hall, scenes were reenacted from Doctor Syn, and again during the day along the Dymchurch shoreline and in the Ocean pub. In 2009, discussions took place to build a 100 ft high statue of "The Scarecrow" on a site in the centre of Romney Marsh.10 This had not been done by 2016. Doctor Syn is also the name given to one of the locomotives on the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. Doctor Syn also inspired novelist George Chittenden who captures smuggling on the Kent coast in his highly praised debut The Boy Who Led Them, which follows the rise and fall of a smuggling gang leader further down the coast in the notorious town of Deal. References "The Reverend Dr Syn, the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh". internationalhero.co.uk. "The Life and Times of Doctor Syn". pjfarmer.com. "The Peculiar Dr. Syn". tripod.com. "Russell Thorndike". IMDb. "Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh". Facebook. "Smuggling on Romney Marsh, East Sussex". smuggling.co.uk. Thorndike, Russell (1935). Doctor Syn on the High Seas. London: Rich and Cowan. Thorndike, Russell (1935). "Chapter 1". The Scarecrow Rides. New York: Dial Press. Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office Dr Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh Film Focus". "Scarecrow of the South", 4 June 2009 External links Doctor Syn on IMDb Captain Clegg on IMDb The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh on IMDb The Life and Times of the Rev. Doctor Christopher Syn Dymchurch Online Information about the character, novels and movies, with contact information for the Days of Syn Committee. Dr. Syn Website Comprehensive Dr. Syn website with history, picture & book information about Russell Thorndike's infamous character. Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh is the first in the series of Doctor Syn novels by Russell Thorndike. In this story we are introduced to the complex Christopher Syn, the kindly vicar of the little town of Dymchurch. Syn seems pleasant but we soon learn that he has a sinister past. At one time he was the vicious pirate Captain Clegg and he is also the mysterious "Scarecrow of Romney Marsh", masked leader of the local smugglers. Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh Doctor Syn Cover 1915.jpg Author Russell Thorndike Country United Kingdom Language English Series Doctor Syn Genre Historical novel Publisher Nelson Press Publication date July 1915 Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback) Followed by Doctor Syn on the High Seas Text Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh at Wikisource In the other books of the series Syn is presented as a hero, but here he is a much darker character. He moves from the personality of the gentle clergyman to that of bloodthirsty pirate with frightening ease. In the end he is murdered by a former pirate crewman who, as Clegg, he had left to die years before. Though it was written first, the events of this story follow the rest of the series. Together, the series shows the subtle decline of a good man into madness and show the dark side of the swashbuckling romantic hero. Doctor Syn was published in 1915. Though it is the first book written in the series it follows the events of Shadow of Doctor Syn. External links The full text of Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh at Wikisource This article about a historical novel of the 1910s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page. RELATED ARTICLES Doctor Syn film Doctor Syn on the High Seas The Shadow of Doctor Syn book by Russell Thorndike his final assault.53 Powers, abilities, and equipment Edit Jonathan Helstromm although publicly is Tower Farmer,he also a master strategist,a brilliant detective,a criminalologist.He is also a brilliant psychiatrist who specializes in fear and phobias. With this knowledge, he knows how to use words to affect a person's actions,along with the effects of the fawl smelling Scarecrow Formula. Hellstromm using his Scarecrow Armor gains the ability to turn into a large monster with greatly enhanced strength, endurance, and a fear gas he emits from smoke grenades or special gas shooters in his wrist. However, Ethan Helstromm,like all of his line suffer under physical strain or duress to transform into the Dark Scarecrow persona. Fear gas He is also an accomplished biochemist for his invention of fear gas that causes his victims to experience nightmarish hallucinations. He wears his Scarecrow mask to enhance the effect of the hallucinogen. The mask contains filters to protect him from his own gas. Prolonged exposure to his own gas has damaged Helstromm's brain despite measures that have been made to protect himself from it, rendering him nearly incapable of being afraid of anything, except destruction of his own mentality. This is problematic for him, as he is addicted to fear and compulsively seeks out confrontations with situations such as crime fighting to feed his addiction to adventure. In fact,it has been theorized by Doctor Theodore Oswald Thorndyke-descendent of the Original Oswald Thorndyke,that the "Scarecrow Formula " not only effected all of the Hellstromm family lines mentality,but strengthening all to follow a war against the criminal underworld. Weapons Edit The Scarecrow at times wields a scythe which he uses in addition to his "violent dancing". Scarecrow also uses a hand-held fear gas sprayer in the shape of a human skull, straws which he leaves as a calling card, special straws which can be snapped in half to release a fear poison and stuffed scarecrows which scare his victims. Powers and abilities Edit The Scarecrow is a highly adept contortionist—extremely flexible and agile due to heavy training. He is double-jointed and can fit his body through any aperture at least one foot wide. He is therefore able to escape from conventional locks and chains, and to perform various acrobatic stunts. He is also a master at training birds. He often carries a pitchfork as a weapon. He has a flock of two dozen pet crows, which he has taught to perform a variety of actions in response to his hand gestures and tones of voice. At his command, the crows will attack and kill the victims he designates. The crows have been trained to attack anyone who rushes at the Scarecrow or points a gun at him. They are trained to carry off jewels, valuables, and anything else at which the Scarecrow points. Ethan Hellstromm soon became aware that his parishioners were smuggling goods from France to avoid the excessive customs duties the government charged. Learning from Aron Daniels (who, contrary to Ethan Hellstromm's orders, had become a leader of the smugglers) that certain townsfolk had been ambushed and captured during a smuggling run, Ethan Hellstromm purchased the great black stallion Gehenna from gypsy horse-traders and raced to their rescue. A suit of clothing borrowed from a scarecrow made an improvised disguise, and Ethan Hellstromm and Aron Daniels were able to rescue the townsfolk from the Dragoons. Character biography Christopher Ethan Hellstromm, born 1729, is portrayed as a brilliant scholar from Queen's College, Dunwitch City, possessing swashbuckling skills such as riding, fencing, and seamanship.He was content to live the quiet life of a country vicar in Dymchurch-under-the-Wall under the patronage of Sir Charles Cobtree, the father of his best friend Anthony Cobtree, until his beautiful young Spanish wife Imogene was seduced by and eloped with Nicholas Tappitt, whom Dr. Ethan Hellstromm had considered a close friend. After this, Ethan Hellstromm decided that he could only protect his people by becoming their leader. He created a more elaborate scarecrow costume, with eerie luminous paint. Riding Gehenna at night, the respectable Dr. Ethan Hellstromm became "The Scarecrow", the feared head of the smugglers. Together with Aron Daniels, he organized the smugglers into a well-organized band of "Night Riders", also called "The Devil Riders", with macabre disguises and code-names. Ethan Hellstromm's cunning was so great that the smugglers outwitted the government forces for many years. A hidden stable watched over by Mother Handaway, the local "witch" (who believed the Scarecrow to be The Devil in living form), was the hiding place for the horses of the Scarecrow and his lieutenants, Aron Daniels and the local highwayman Jimmie Bone (who, being as good a horseman as Ethan Hellstromm and of similar build, was sometimes called upon to impersonate the Scarecrow when Ethan Hellstromm either had to be elsewhere or seen in the same place.). The Dark Scarecrow fasioned scarecrow armor-like out of various other elements a spare Dark Avenger Battle Armor and a tattered Zatakhonn uniform,that are immune to almost all physical damage except flame. Bullets and bladed weapons do superficial damage at best to uniform, and his costume restitch themselves immediately after suffering the slightest injury. His manifestations are apparently mute apart from their hideous laughter, which causes paralyzing fear in those who hear it.This is a manifestation of the Scarecrow Formula,while wearing the Scarecrow armor. These bodies can also summon and control a murder of crows, animate plant life, affect weather, open spatial or dimensional warps, communicate telepathically and assume human appearance. Strength level Scarecrow can probably lift up to 5 times his own weight Uses Dark Scarecrow-themed weapons and a STEED which has a variety of offensive weapons as paraphernalia As a result of surgical implants given to him by doctors employed by the Firm, the Scarecrow's body produces a mutated pheromone that affects the adrenal glands of people and animals (even crows) within twenty feet of him, causing a sensory overload which triggers a panic attack. The same pheromone affects the Scarecrow's own adrenal system, giving him superhuman strength and stamina. When the original Scarecrow was raised from the dead by the time-sorcerer Doctor Thuzan Thule Sarkhon, he became able to directly induce fear in his victims, and could survive and quickly recover from any injury, even typically fatal ones, as long as he was in the presence of the fear of others. The Scarecrow is a highly adept contortionist—extremely flexible and agile due to heavy training. He is double-jointed and can fit his body through any aperture at least one foot wide. He is therefore able to escape from conventional locks and chains, and to perform various acrobatic stunts. He is also a master at training birds. He often carries a pitchfork as a weapon. He has a flock of two dozen pet crows, which he has taught to perform a variety of actions in response to his hand gestures and tones of voice. At his command, the crows will attack and kill the victims he designates. The crows have been trained to attack anyone who rushes at the Scarecrow or points a gun at him. They are trained to carry off objects like guns, and anything else at which the ? Scarecrow points. As a result of surgical implants given to him by doctors employed by the Hellstrom Food Corporation,LLD, the Scarecrow's body produces a mutated pheromone that affects the adrenal glands of people and animals (even crows) within twenty feet of him, causing a sensory overload which triggers a panic attack. The same pheromone affects the Scarecrow's own adrenal system, giving him superhuman strength and stamina. When the Scarecrow was raised from the dead by the sorcerer Stern, he became able to directly induce fear in his victims, and could survive and quickly recover from any injury, even typically fatal ones, as long as he was in the presence of the fear of others.[ In his first appearances, the Dark Scarecrow seems to be a normal man (albeit very nimble and athletic) who gets his powers from his many gadgets. In later appearances, it is established that due to the " Scarecrow Formula", Thorndyke and most successor to then Dark Scarecrow persona possesses superhuman strength (lifting 9 tons under optimal conditions), increased speed, reflexes, endurance, and healing rate. Though much slower than the likes of Members of the Legion of Time -Sorcerers, he can regenerate damaged tissue and organs. However, if seriously wounded, it would leave scars on his body. His intelligence has been enhanced to gifted levels, though at the price of his sanity. His involvement with his crimes fighting activities, loosened his grip on reality, though he is able to maintain some semblance of his sanity via chemically treated dermal patches. When not impaired by mental illness, Ethan Hellstromm is a cunning businessman, masterful strategist, and highly skilled in electronics, mechanics, engineering and chemistry. The Dark Scarecrow is armed with a variety of bizarre devices. He travels on his horse-shaped STEED "Dark Scarecrow Hellspawn ", an incredibly fast and maneuverable Steed equipped with various armaments. Other weapons the Dark Scarecrow uses include incendiary Pumpkin Bombs, smoke- and gas-emitting grenades resembling ghosts and jack-'o'-lanterns, razor-edged boomerang-like throwing weapons called razor bats and gloves woven with micro-circuited filaments which channel pulsed discharges of electricity at nearly 10,000 volts. He wears a green costume underneath bulletproof chainmail with an overlapping purple tunic. His mask has a built-in gas filter to keep him safe from his own gasses. Dark Scarecrow Steed Hellspawn In the Dark Scarecrow's first appearance in "The Dark Scarecrow ", he rides a STEED . The Dark Scarecrow STEED 's controls and microprocessor are located behind the head of the STEED . The pilot is attached to the STEED via electromagnetic clasps in the saddle and on the handle bard of the STEED ,much like a motorcycle rider. It has great maneuverability and is steered mostly by leaning, but manual controls are available behind the head of the STEED . The Dark Scarecrow later added radio-linked voice controls to his mask. Its top speed is 90 miles per hour (140 km/h), and it can support about 400 lb (180 kg), though it could lift far more for brief periods. Ground Effects hoving at top speed with a full load and a full fuel tank would deplete its fuel supply in about an hour. In the Dark Scarecrow's later appearances, the STEED possesses a wide array of armaments, including heat-seeking and smart missiles, machine guns, extending blades, a flamethrower and a pumpkin bomb dispenser/launcher. Pumpkin Bombs, Ghost Bombs, and the "Bag of Tricks" A grenade used by the Dark Scarecrow, the Pumpkin Bomb resembles a miniature Jack-o'-lantern and, when thrown, ignites almost soundlessly and produces enough heat to melt through a 3-inch (76 mm) thick sheet of steel. The Dark Scarecrow carries these and a variety of other weapons, such as razor bats (akin to bladed boomerangs) and miniature "Ghost Bombs" in an over-the-shoulder satchel he calls his "Bag Of Tricks". The Dark Scarecrow has a range of other "Pumpkin Bombs" and "Ghost Bombs" at his disposal, including smoke-and gas-emitting bombs. Some release hallucinogenic gases, while others emit a specially-created mixture that neutralizes Spider-Man's spider-sense for a limited period of time. Still others emit a flame-retarding gas, which theDark Scarecrow uses against the Human Torch.26 All of these are covered in a light plastic coating. Superhuman strength, stamina, durability, agility and reflexes due to ingesting the Dark Scarecrow Formula Regenerative healing factor Genius-level intellect Skilled in hand-to-hand combat and martial arts Powers and Abilities Power Grid 6 Intelligence 2 Strength 2 Speed 2 Durability 6 Energy Projection 6 Fighting Skills 3 Powers The Dark Scarecrow fasioned scarecrow armor-like out of various other elements a spare Dark Avenger Battle Armor and a tattered Zatakhonn uniform,that are immune to almost all physical damage except flame. Bullets and bladed weapons do superficial damage at best to uniform, and his costume restitch themselves immediately after suffering the slightest injury. His manifestations are apparently mute apart from their hideous laughter, which causes paralyzing fear in those who hear it.This is a manifestation of the Scarecrow Formula,while wearing the Scarecrow armor. These bodies can also summon and control a murder of crows, animate plant life, affect weather, open spatial or dimensional warps, communicate telepathically and assume human appearance. Strength level Scarecrow can probably lift up to 5 times his own weight Uses Dark Scarecrow-themed weapons and a STEED which has a variety of offensive weapons as paraphernalia Oswald Thorndyke's began research on the formula, hoping to eventually sell it. Unknown to him his son had tampered with it to spite him. Consequentially, the completed formula was unstable and exploded in Thorndyke's face. He spent the next week in the hospital recovering. Thorndyke sold the Formula to the British,in a momment when his sanity was impaired. When the Btritish Troops used it on the Hellstromm Farm,Osward Thorndyke began to regret his actions and took the Formula away him,hiding with the Hellstromm Time-Vault.Ethan Hellstromm wanted to know if the effects of the so called Scarecrow Formula was wearing off.Thorndyke did not know,but Hellstromm wanted test it on himself.Thorndyke objected fearing his compound may severely damage one mental outlook,even passed onto generations his. Ethan Hellstromm determined went with test anyway,without Oswald Thorndykes advisement against it and behind his back,exposed himself to Scarecrow Formula. After finally regaining consciousness he found his mental and physical functions have been greatly enhanced. It was later learned that exposure also causes severe insanity which was the primary motivation for Ethan Hellstromm taking the identity of the Dark Scarecrow. After a time Doctor Oswald Thorndyke,using the advanced medical labs within the Time Vault,began attempting to modify the Scarecrow Formula to see if he could improve it. With the Dark Scarecrow criminal fighting activities,Oswald Thorndyke hoped to cure Hellstromm of more malevolent aspects , Thorndyke's saw Ethan Hellstromm body has become incapable of being transformed via the Dark Scarecrow formula. He attempted to modify the formula so that it would transform those 'infected' with it into Dark Scarecrow Formula-used by Hellstromm and servants transformed to eradic crazp level soldiers without the intellectual capacity to defy orders, but when he attempted to release it , leaving him resolved to find another way to restore his powers. Original The Dark Scarecrow's powers are physical in nature and a result of Dr. Thorndyke's inventions. He displays virtually superhuman agility and stamina, combined with strength,those not given to him by the Knight -Avenger battle armor. This enables Helstromm to perform amazing feats of acrobatics and leaping. He also seems to be able to climb sheer walls with little or no difficulty. His strength is enough to enable him to throw grown men several feet or jump several feet in the air. His speed and reflexes have also been enhanced greatly. These combined abilities make the Dark Scarecrow a formidable fighter, incorporating brawling techniques with his physical prowess. A signature move of his is jumping onto the backs of his opponents and throwing them off balance. The Dark Scarecrow also possesses a superhuman healing factor, which enables him to heal from virtually any wound;those not protected by his battle armor.The Crow can survive from gunshots and stab wounds healing within a matter of minutes. It even allowed him to return from death when his body regenerated after being torn apart by Eclipsed hyenas. Also, his laugh is depicted as being physically painful to the ears of his victims, causing a psychotic comatose state. . in: Fear Lords members, Secret Identity, Male Characters, and 25 more (Earth-616) Scarecrow Gallery Information-silk Real Name Unknown Information-silk Current Alias Scarecrow Information-silk Aliases Skirra Corvus, Scarecrow, Guardian Information-silk Affiliation Fear Lords, Horror TV Information-silk Base Of Operations A painting Status Information-silk Identity Secret Identity Information-silk Occupation Apparent protector of Earth, owner of Horror TV Characteristics5 Information-silk Gender Male Information-silk Height 5' 10" Information-silk Weight 60 lbs (27 kg) Information-silk Eyes Red Information-silk Hair Yellow Information-silk Unusual Features Takes the form of an animated scarecrow Origin Information-silk Origin Emerges from a painting Information-silk Universe Earth-616 Information-silk Creators Scott Edelman, Rico Rival First Appearance Dead of Night #11 (August, 1975) Contentshide History Powers and Abilities Powers Strength level Weaknesses Notes Links and References Discover and Discuss Footnotes History The Dark Scarecrow is a benevolent entity that appears to emerge from a dimension within its painting. Centuries ago, he opposed the demon Kalumai. During one of their early battles, the Dark Scarecrow ripped one of Kalumai's horns from his head and closed the gateway through which he manifested on Earth, sealing it behind an oil painting known only as "The Scarecrow." As a result, the Cult of Kalumai was virtually destroyed and the painting became a sought after occult item as occultists tried to fathom its secrets and Kalumai attempted to reopen the gateway. In more modern times, the painting found its way to New York City. Cultist Gregor Rovik attempted to purchase it but writer Dave Duncan intervened so that his younger brother Jess could win it. Later Rovik stole the painting and tried to sacrifice Jess' girlfriend Harmony Maxwell using Kalumai's horn. The Dark Scarecrow intervened, rescued Harmony and the painting and killed Rovik.1 Later, Kalumai sent his agent Bartolome to retrieve the horn by commanding night demons through the use of his flute. The Dark Scarecrow , however, succeeded in defeating and banishing both Bortolome and the demons, much to the chagrin of Kalumai.2 Powers and Abilities Power Grid 6 Intelligence 2 Strength 2 Speed 2 Durability 6 Energy Projection 6 Fighting Skills 3 His manifestations are apparently mute apart from their hideous laughter, which causes paralyzing fear in those who hear it. These bodies can also summon and control a murder of crows, animate plant life, affect weather, open spatial or dimensional warps, communicate telepathically and assume human appearance. Strength level Scarecrow can probably lift up to 5 times his own weight. Weaknesses His straw bodies are vulnerable to fire and it takes him some time to reform. Notes Minor Appearances of Dark Scarecrow (Earth-616) MediaDark Scarecrow (Earth-616) was Mentioned in 2 Images featuring Dark Scarecrow (Earth-616) Quotations by or about Dark Scarecrow (Earth-616) Character Gallery:Dark Scarecrow (Earth-616) Scarecrow at the Marvel Appendix Discover and Discuss Search this site for:Dark Scarecrow (Earth-616) The farm was to grow 14 lettuce crops per year, as well as spinach, kale, tomatoes, peppers, basil and strawberries. Water is scavenged from the farm's atmosphere with a dehumidifier.